Compared in November 2026
Both plugins find images your WordPress site does not use and remove them with a way back. Media Cleaner starts from the Media Library; Clearyvo Media Cleanup checks the Media Library and every image file in the uploads folder.
The short answer
- Choose Media Cleaner for a plugin with a long history and a large user base, parsers for many page builders in its Pro version, and WP-CLI commands (Pro).
- Choose Clearyvo Media Cleanup to clean unused Media Library images and the files the Media Library does not list (old thumbnail sizes, copies, backup folders, originals next to “-scaled” copies) and duplicates, free, with a restorable quarantine that keeps the Media Library entry.
- Both now list unused Media Library items; the biggest differences are the page builders each one reads, the loose files Media Cleanup finds free, and how the way back works.
At a Glance
| Clearyvo Media Cleanup | Media Cleaner (by Jordy Meow) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plugin | Yes, on WordPress.org | Yes, on WordPress.org (90,000+ active installations) |
| Paid version | Media Cleanup Pro, from €29 a year (1 site); also included in Clearyvo Pro | Media Cleaner Pro, from $39 a year (1 site); lifetime plans offered too |
| Requirements | WordPress 6.2, PHP 7.4 (64-bit) | WordPress 6.0, PHP 8.1 |
| Starting point of the scan | The Media Library and every image file in the uploads folder | The Media Library |
| Removes unused Media Library items | Images, free (“Unused in Library”; uploads of the last 30 days never offered, by default); a whole list at once with Media Cleanup Pro or Clearyvo Pro | Yes |
| Attached to a post but not shown | Listed apart, never ticked for you | |
| Files the Media Library does not list | Free: old thumbnail sizes, copies, backup folders | Pro: Filesystem Analysis of the uploads folder |
| Duplicates | Free: identical copies (SHA-256) and look-alikes confirmed by a picture comparison | Duplicate scanning, including visually similar images |
| Where it looks for uses | Posts, custom fields, featured images, galleries, WooCommerce galleries, page builder data (Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Bricks, Oxygen, ACF), settings, widgets, menus, the active theme’s files and CSS | References view; parsers for Yoast SEO, MetaSlider, Meow Gallery and others; more page builders (ACF, Divi, Elementor, WPBakery and others) in Pro |
| Way back | Quarantine, restorable for 3, 7, 10 or 30 days, with the Media Library entry kept; a notice if a quarantined file is requested | Internal trash, emptied when you choose |
| Heavy and oversized images | Free list (over 300 KB, over 2560 px, PNG photos) | |
| WebP, AVIF, compression | Media Cleanup Pro (also in Clearyvo Pro) | |
| WP-CLI | No | Pro |
Where They Differ
Media Library items and loose files
Media Cleaner works from the Media Library: it finds Library items nothing refers to and deletes the item with its files; its Pro version adds a Filesystem Analysis of the uploads folder. Clearyvo Media Cleanup does both in the free plugin: its “Unused in Library” list offers the Media Library images nothing uses, and its other lists cover the files the Library does not know about, which is where old thumbnail sizes, duplicates and backup copies hide. Its Library list covers images only (PDFs are Clearyvo PDF Cleanup’s job), and images attached to a post that does not show them are kept on a separate, less certain list.
Finding uses in page builders
Both look in posts and custom fields. Media Cleaner’s free version reads several popular plugins and its Pro version adds parsers for many page builders. Clearyvo Media Cleanup searches page builder data stored in posts and custom fields, the active theme’s files and CSS in uploads, in the free version. Neither can see an image name that plugin code builds on the fly, so both ask you to review the lists and keep a backup.
The way back
Media Cleaner moves deleted items to its own trash first, and you empty it when you are sure. Clearyvo Media Cleanup moves files to a protected quarantine folder and removes them after the period you choose; every file is checked again right before it is moved. An unused Media Library item keeps its entry (hidden) while it is in the quarantine, so a restore brings back the files and the item, and a notice with a Restore button shows up if a page or visitor asks for a quarantined file.
When to Choose Media Cleaner
- You mainly clean the Media Library and want its References view, which shows where each item is used.
- Your site is built with a page builder that its Pro version supports, and you want that coverage.
- You want WP-CLI commands (Pro) or a connection to AI assistants through the AI Engine plugin.
- You prefer a plugin with a long history and a large user base.
When to Choose Clearyvo Media Cleanup
- You want unused Media Library images and the files the Library does not list (old thumbnail sizes, copies and backup folders) in one free scan.
- You want the file-level scan, duplicate finder and quarantine free, without a file limit, and a restore that brings back the Media Library entry too.
- You run older PHP versions: it works from PHP 7.4.
- You also want image compression and WebP or AVIF copies on your own server (Media Cleanup Pro, or Clearyvo Pro, which includes it).
Sources
- Media Cleaner on WordPress.org (version 7.3.6, features, Pro features, active installations, requirements)
- Media Cleaner Pro pricing on meowapps.com
- Clearyvo Media Cleanup on WordPress.org and its page here (version 1.24.1, readme and code)
The other plugins’ names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to identify their products; Clearyvo is not affiliated with them. We make Clearyvo Media Cleanup. Facts about the other plugins are taken from the pages listed under Sources on 6 November 2026; an empty cell means the page did not say. Prices and features change: check the vendors’ pages before you buy, and write to info@clearyvo.com if a fact here has changed.
Read the guide: How to Find and Delete Unused Images in WordPress (Safely) Compare: Clearyvo Media Cleanup vs Media Cleaner